The man the FBI has described as the largest facilitator of child pornography on the planet is considering whether to challenge a decision by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) not to press charges against him here.

Eric-Eoin Marques (28) with an address at Mountjoy Square , Dublin is wanted in the US to face four charges of conspiring to distribute and advertise child pornography.

The material is described as being extremely violent, graphic and depicting the rape and torture of pre-pubescent children. It is alleged he is the owner and administrator of an anonymous hosting site known as 'Freedom Hosting'.

If convicted in America, Marques - who has dual Irish and US citizenship - faces spending the remainder of his natural life in prison as the four charges could result in a sentence totaling 100 years.

He has hired a new team of lawyers to fight his extradition. It is the same team that is representing Ali Charaf Damache, an Algerian-born Irish citizen accused of international terrorism, who is also wanted by the US authorities.

Today barrister Michael O'Higgins indicated to the High Court that like Damache, Marques may apply for a judicial review of the DPP decision not to press charges against him in Ireland.

Marques previously indicated he would plead guilty if the case were to be tried here.

In Damache's case it was argued that the Irish State had unlawfully delegated the prosecution to the US without explanation in circumstances where the alleged terrorist offences occurred while he was living in Ireland.

Damache lost his challenge on all grounds yesterday, but the lawyers will have to wait for Mr. Justice John Edwards to hand-down written judgment this Friday in order to find out why.

In the meantime Marques's extradition proceedings have been put back until February 18th. He remains in custody following two failed bail attempts.